Valda Ridenour Krull, 80
Published 9:56 am Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Valda Ridenour Krull, 80, passed away quietly Feb. 5 in her home at Luther Park Retirement Home in Des Moines after a battle with cancer.
Val was born Valda Darlene Michael on July 21, 1930, in Des Moines to Asa Guy and Beulah (Anderson) Michael. Val grew up on the East side of Des Moines in her family home with her parents, a sister and four brothers. Life changed drastically for Val when her mother fell ill to pneumonia and died when Val was 13 years old. At that time there were three younger siblings needing care. By the time Val turned 16, she had quit school to stay home and look after the younger children. Val took a position at the Kirkwood Hotel in Des Moines as an elevator operator. As a young woman, Val had a brief marriage to a Mr. Lumley and had an infant daughter, Pamela, who died. Later while waitressing in a restaurant in Algona, Iowa, Val met Wayne Ridenour. They married in 1951. The young couple moved to LaVerne, Iowa, and began farming. In 1954 they bought a farm near Dexter, and moved their family. Val was very involved in farming; she also raised chickens and sold eggs. She had a huge vegetable garden and canned massive amounts of produce each year. Val took a cooking position at the Nickerson Farms at the Dexter exit on I-90. In 1969, Wayne died, leaving Val with four teenagers. Val eventually married Wilbur Ding Krull in 1971. She sold the farm, and she and Ding moved to Springfield, Mo. They owned and operated the K&K Chili Parlor. Later she worked as a banquet chef and banquet manager at the Howard Johnson hotel in Springfield & HoJo’s as Val used to refer to it. Ding died in 1979, once again leaving Val a widow. In 1987 Val returned to Des Moines. She worked at a nearby 7-11 and volunteered her extra time as a foster grandparent in the elementary school district. When her health began to falter, she took early retirement at age 62. One of her greatest joys in her retirement was moving into her apartment at the
Luther Park Retirement Home in 2009. Family members say this move made Val merry and content. She loved the people on the second floor where she lived. Val was social and made
friends easily.
Val was preceded in death by her parents, Asa and Beulah Michael; infant daughter, Pamela Lumley; husband and love of her life, Wayne Ridenour; husband, Wilbur “Ding” Krull; sister Kathleen Gatewood; brothers, Dale Michael and Leo Michael; infant great-grandson, Charles Beauchamp; step-son, John Krull.
Val is survived by her family who she spoke of often: daughter, Linda Ridenour of Thomas, Okla.; daughter, Barbara (Ridenour) Lent (Kevin) of Glenwood; son, Dennis Denny Ridenour (Colleen) of Thomas, Okla.; Allen Ridenour of Buford, Ga.; step-children, Wayne Krull (Marsha) of Thomas, Okla.; Karen Clapham (Bill) of Dubuque; Lisa Goucher (Steve) of Rockwall, Texas; grandchildren and their families, Roshelle (Ridenour) Wherritt (Rodney) and three children of Thomas, Okla., Jason Ridenour of Owatonna and his three children; Wayne Ridenour (Rita) and three children of Thomas, Okla.; Jason Lent (Mickie) and his son of Burnsville, Nichole (Lent) Beauchamp and her sons of Brooten, Minn.; Eric Lent (Kelly) and 2 children of Breckenridge, Minn.; two brothers: Charles Chuck Michael of Norwalk, Calif. and William Bill Michael of Des Moines. There is also a host of nieces and nephews who loved Val dearly.
Viewing hours are Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m. 8 p.m. at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street, Des Moines. Memorial services will be held in the same location Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 11a.m.
with a luncheon hosted by nieces and nephews of Val to follow at Luther Park community room at 2824 E 16th Street, Des Moines. Interment will be Friday, Feb. 10, 2011, 11am, at the Dexter Cemetery in Dexter. A reception will follow. Val’s children request that any donations or memorials be made to Mercy Hospice, Des Moines, to whom they are forever grateful.